Video: Conservative prodigy smacks Jeb Bush for anti-Reaganism

posted at 9:00 pm on May 4, 2009 by Allahpundit

Yeah, this kid again. Here’s the million-dollar question: Does he understand what he’s saying or is he just doing some sort of superb mynah-bird impression of a conservative pundit in the Tucker Carlson mold? His forced small-talk cheeriness is on the cusp of parody. Is it some sort of bit, or has he — gasp — actually internalized this shtick? The poor, poor kid. Get him an Xbox and a Happy Meal, stat.

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Look at 14 you can be really smart, you can learn a lot of social studies, and read a ton of history. You can even develop your own opinions on that stuff. But at 14 you still are far to immature and inexperienced in life to have develop center of idealism. You are just beginning to develop the socio-political core of your life’s experiences.
As for Jeb Bush, he sucks and ain’t going nowhere. Look for the same people in the republican machine that are trying to ram Tom Ridge down Pennsylvanians throats to try to do the same with Jeb nationally. Both are gonna crash and burn baby. The old republican guard is dead, they just don’t know it yet.

I would dare say most liberals don’t understand the constitution…why else do they keep finding separation of church and state? Or for that matter, abortion is a right in the constitution.
I’m not saying we should all worship the kid as the smartest person we have to offer…or that we should elect him to office. Rather take from it that he is a kid, who enjoys politics. Can we not save the stone throwing for RINOS instead of stoning a kid?

WTF? Time named him one of their most influential people of the year? That does it.
I’ve been interested in politics since I was 11 and watched George Bush get reelected. I’m an amazing conservative voice – “and at such a young age!!1!” I’m gonna get my crap together, write a book about what conservatism means for younger generations (aka just what I think) then appear at CPAC and on FOX, then finally TIME. And then Allah can make fun of me.
Anyone got contacts in publishing?

When I was 14, I read “The Way Things Ought to Be” by Rush Limbaugh. It changed everything.

But even still, I think it’s ridiculous for kids to pretend that they know more about politics, government, society or life than someone older.

Of COURSE liberals don’t get it. That’s not it.

What bothers me about this kid is that such eagerness in politics at such a young age is a gigantic red flag with me for 2 reasons:

1. He’s treating it like a game, when it isn’t. Or,
2. He’s treating it way to seriously for a person that age, when he should be doing kid stuff.

Either way, it’s just strange. Every 13, 14, or 15 year old I know has some political opinions. They are growing up and learning about stuff. I did too. But I don’t think it’s healthy for it to become as important as this kid is making it.

I would dare say most liberals don’t understand the constitution…why else do they keep finding separation of church and state? Or for that matter, abortion is a right in the constitution.

Conservative Voice on May 4, 2009 at 10:12 PM

For the same reason that they understand that school vouchers are successful and needed, yet revoke them. It gets in the way of their agenda. Regardless of what the Constitution says (remember: they call it out dated and try to reinterpret it as a living document) they have their own agenda.

I’m not saying we should all worship the kid as the smartest person we have to offer…or that we should elect him to office. Rather take from it that he is a kid, who enjoys politics. Can we not save the stone throwing for RINOS instead of stoning a kid?

Understood. But he shouldn’t be sold as a child prodigy, one of the most influential people in America, and a GOP rising star.

Which is what I’m saying. He’s being overblown. There are 100 people on the list, and Time lists Krohn a few spots behind General David McKiernan, Commander, U.S. Forces Afghanistan. Oh, and just one more spot behind Sam Zell, owner of the Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times.

Which is what I’m saying. He’s being overblown. There are 100 people on the list, and Time lists Krohn a few spots behind General David McKiernan, Commander, U.S. Forces Afghanistan. Oh, and just one more spot behind Sam Zell, owner of the Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times.

amerpundit on May 4, 2009 at 10:19 PM

The most influential Conservative in America? A 14-year-old kid. Really, it has to stop. It is silly to elevate this kid and celebrate him at such a young age. Hell, he can’t even vote yet (unless he is a registered Democrat).

And his brother ran Texas…don’t care, both are progressives in sheeps clothing. Jeb is wrong. We should fight socialism every step of the way, not say old fashion values ( like stay out of debt ) is old fashion.

That does it.
I’ve been interested in politics since I was 11 and watched George Bush get reelected. I’m an amazing conservative voice – “and at such a young age!!1!” I’m gonna get my crap together, write a book about what conservatism means for younger generations (aka just what I think) then appear at CPAC and on FOX, then finally TIME. And then Allah can make fun of me.
Anyone got contacts in publishing?

Emily M. on May 4, 2009 at 10:14 PM

Good plan, and you got this kid beat by a whole year. I bet Allah can hook you up. He sometimes e-mails with someone from RedEye, you know.

Honestly, though, I don’t really see what’s wrong with this kid being out there talking about conservatism. Yes he’s young and his arguments are going to be sometimes rough. But he’s on tv precisely because he’s young, and people that age rarely can define some of the topics he can speak at least somewhat in depth about. So long as people don’t try to elevate him to some spokesman for the GOP I don’t see the harm.

I agree that he’s completely overblown. Although, I might be overly touchy about this. It’s just that, everyone is acting like there are no smart teenage conservatives execpt for him…and I have 5 close friends who match that.

The 14-year-old kid is better educated, obviously. He did write a book and is leading us out of the wilderness with his firm leadership and bold new ideas. Me? Well, I’m just a snot-nosed kid at Virginia Tech not capable of holding up a candle to the great Krohn and his oratorical wizadry. I should just drop out of school now and give it up. I will never be as smart as the Krohn.

I’m willing to dish that she said ‘WTF’ as a teenager if it gets me a spot on Hardball !

BadgerHawk on May 4, 2009 at 10:26 PM

Eh, you’re probably right. I’ve been trying to convinve myself if I abbreviate it, it’s not the same as actually saying the f-word. Oh, and I’m pretty sure you have to perform sexual favors to get on Hardball…hence the name. And I don’t call skanks. ;)

ahhh…a bunch of dumbed downers that want to beat up an intelligent and passoniate kid who is obviously very bright.

Remember that many of our founding fathers had ungrad degrees by their teens. Alexander Hamilton was 16.

smartsy on May 4, 2009 at 10:21 PM

Yes, and the children of 235 years ago were quite different than today. Hamilton was a law clerk before his 16th birthday, having studied Greek and Roman classics. Here’s a sample of Hamilton’s writing at a young age:

It was hardly to be expected that any man could be so presumptuous as openly to controvert the equity, wisdom, and authority of the measures adopted by the Congress—an assembly truly respectable on every account, whether we consider the characters of the men who composed it, the number and dignity of their constituents, or the important ends for which they were appointed. But, however improbable such a degree of presumption might have seemed, we find there are some in whom it exists. Attempts are daily making to diminish the influence of their decisions, and prevent the salutary effects intended by them. The impotence of such insidious efforts is evident from the general indignation they are treated with; so that no material ill-consequences can be dreaded from them. But lest they should have a tendency to mislead, and prejudice the minds of a few, it cannot be deemed altogether useless to bestow some notice upon them.

And now Krohn’s:

Now that we have finished our discussion of old school conservatism and the constitution, let’s move on to the next major aspect of the conservative belief system: the life issue. The life issue is near and dear to all conservatives. Does not life keep all of us alive? If it wasn’t for life would we not surely be dead? Conservatives believe that life is something that everyone should have.”

He’s not a bad kid and he should keep speaking his mind. However, he’s not the child prodigy he’s made out to be and he’s certainly not comparable to Hamilton or his peers. Few children today are.

Better than George, I will give you that one. Better than Arnold…yes, I will give you that one as well. But all the right he did in Florida got washed away when he pleads that we Republicans need to moderate…The Republican leadership is moderate…and that is the problem, not the solution. Republicans need to fight back against the progressives, and go back to our roots…smaller government…not we can do welfare better than the Democrats.

I get what you’re saying and you are correct, but it’s not really fair to put some of Hamilton’s best stuff up against the cheesiest thing you could pull from Khron.

BadgerHawk on May 4, 2009 at 10:37 PM

I actually just randomly picked one of the first lines in the first work I found that Hamilton wrote as a young man. As for Krohn, it’s not even that it’s cheesy. I understand what he’s trying to say. But it’s what I would expect from an opinionated 14-year-old, which is fine except that he’s been played up so much as a child prodigy.

When did we start expecting so little from our children? I heard a speaker once read off a group of test question and ask people to guess what grade level the questions were from. One of the question was calculating the interest on a mortgage. The questions were from a sixth grade test around the turn of the century.

Not only that but you are making assumptions about his life. How would you know he does not spend time being a “regular” kid? What would you do with the next Mozart, label him freak, take his piano and make him play XBOX 360?

I love this kid. He is so genuine, articulate, and unassuming. Don’t for a minute think he is acting, or mimicking. When I was his age I was passionate about my politics and had a pretty damned clear idea of right and wrong. All that has changed since then are the issues I apply my core beliefs to – so don’t discount his perception of the world just because he doesn’t shave yet. It doesn’t always take years to develop wisdom.

Look, I teach brilliant 14 year olds and some of them are just as committed to their beliefs, and can articulate a solid argument. One in particular can give most anchors on ESPN a run for their money, he is that sharp in his area of expertise; sports. It amazes me that many of you cannot give Khron credit for being bright and able to clearly understand his area of interest.

Well I’d be ready for it, so I wouldn’t give them that ‘huh’ expression. And I’d probably be more impressed that they were so creative with their insult, rather than just go with the standard a$$hole or f*cker, or something along those lines.

Why have the kid on the show if you’re not going to talk to him about current events or politics? Neil changed the subject pretty quick…so we got 4 minutes of Neil dwelling on how unusual the kid’s interests are. Lame.

I wonder if the kid has aspects of Aspergers or something similar. There are kids like this and I remember ‘em from school. They are socially awkward, but their cognitive abilities tend to compensate. I was nothing like this kid, but I can say that at 10 I was paying attention to Bill Clinton’s campaign and his positions on the death penalty. I was also big into parroting environmentalism, until I wised up.

Some kids actually pay attention to current events because they find it interesting. Though, I also spent a healthy amount of time playing Sega.